


Nurmengard

by red_camellia



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A lot of Hurt, Angst, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Falling In Love, Grindeldore, How They Met, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Some comfort, a sprinkle of fluff for their past, i'm just sad ok, in accordance with the Harry Potter books, post Grindelwald's defeat in 1945, unable to forget each other, with flashbacks into their youth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-04 05:39:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17298812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_camellia/pseuds/red_camellia
Summary: After Grindelwald's defeat in 1945 he is put in Nurmengard, unable to move on and haunted by memories of their past Dumbledore begins visiting Grindelwald."But whenever Dumbledore was there, it was like looking into the Mirror. They both looked at each other and yet, did not see each other."





	1. Chapter 1

“With all due respect, I disagree”.

Travers shot a nasty glare at Spencer-Moon, the British Minister of Magic.

“Grindelwald should be put into Azkaban and stay there for the rest of his life”, Travers repeated.

“I agree with our American friends”, Spencer-Moon said mildly and nodded towards Madam Picquery.

“There is a certain irony that Grindelwald ends up in his own prison. Put him in Nurmengard. It should be the best place for him to reflect upon his actions”. Travers huffed. “Reflect upon his actions”, he muttered. “Is this your doing, Dumbledore?” he asked then.

Several eyes turned toward Albus Dumbledore who sat quietly next to Spencer-Moon.

“After you idly fooled around, saying you couldn’t fight Grindelwald for years, you won’t get to decide what happens to him. Your lingering affection”, he spit those words out like acid, “have caused more than enough trouble. Grindelwald build Nurmengard, he’ll easily break out”.

There was a soft smile on Dumbledore’s lips, but it couldn’t fully cover the pain in his eyes. “He won’t, he understands that he has been defeated. But to put your mind at ease, I will ensure that he won’t break out. I shall put up defensive spells that –“, he started.

“Just put him in Azkaban and we don’t have to waste time arguing about this matter any longer”, Travers cut him off.

“I think, we should vote”, Madam Picquery said calmly.

The European Ministers along with the American Minister all exchanged gazes and nodded. Newt looked rather out of place, his eyes were fixed on Dumbledore’s right elbow who sat before him. The Aurors and other people who had contributed to Grindelwald’s capture had been allowed to witness the discussion after the Judges had not come to a conclusion in the trial.

“Grindelwald has caused trouble in all of our countries but has stayed out of Britain. Why should we lock him up there?” the German Minister of Magic said. The woman next to him hummed. Dumbledore’s eyes wandered over the Ministers that began the voting process.

“Nurmengard it is”, Madam Picquery finally said.

“Dumbledore we rely on you for further securing the prisoner”. Dumbledore gave a slight nod.

 

*

Majestic mountains rose into the clear blue sky, they were covered with fine white snow. The view was so serene that Dumbledore lingered for a moment and looked out the large window front. “Dumbledore?”

He turned around. Three Aurors and the Austrian Minister of Magic had entered the room. Dumbledore nodded and followed them. They went down a wide staircase, through heavy oak doors and along a long stone hallway and then took further stairs down. Further down, deeper and deeper, where the mild sun no longer reached. The only light was the illuminated tips of their wands. They stopped in front of a heavy iron door, one of the Aurors did a complicated wand movement and tapped the door which unlocked with a mechanic whirring sound. Another long corridor came into view and at the end of it was a single door that was magically locked. Dumbledore saw the seals around the door and could feel the strong force of it. It almost pushed him away and taking another step toward it cost him great effort. But maybe it was what was behind the door that made it so difficult to move forward. He hid his agony behind a cold mask as he walked with the Aurors toward the door. The Auror pointed his wand at the door and a narrow peephole was revealed. Dumbledore took one last step and stood before the peephole. It was so narrow it only allowed one person to look inside at a time.

There was a small room with dark stone walls and a small hard bed on the left side. Besides the bed there was nothing but a man inside. He sat on the bed unmoving, still and emotionless. His hair was longer and hung tangled into his face. On his wrists there were two silver bracelets looking almost like handcuffs. They sealed away his magic.

“What is there to add?” Dumbledore said, but his voice only came out as a cracked whisper.

It seemed that Grindelwald had heard his voice because finally the man looked up. Their eyes met and Dumbledore could not stand the other man’s gaze. He lasted hardly more than a few seconds than he took a step back.

“You’ve done everything possible”, Dumbledore said quietly. “I will put up another spell around the castle, I think we can improve there. Otherwise he is as secure as he could be”, he added then firmly. The Aurors nodded. They turned around to go but Dumbledore did not move.

“What is it, Dumbledore?” the Austrian Minister asked. Dumbledore raised his wand and pointed it at the door, there was a soft whoosh and it looked like the air rippled.

“He won’t hear a word spoken out here anymore”, he said.

“Then we should also block his sight”, one of the Aurors said enthusiastically.

“Wait”, Dumbledore said surprised but the Auror had already pointed her wand at the peephole.

Dumbledore looked through it once more. Grindelwald had gotten up to his feet and had walked up to the door. He stood a couple of steps away from the door where a magical barrier blocked his path. He looked at the peephole although from his perspective there was no longer anything to see or to hear. There would only be a rectangular window to a dark and empty corridor. But he still looked at him, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore’s as if he knew that he was still there. Dumbledore tore his eyes away from Grindelwald.

“Let’s go”, he said and hurried ahead.

“He’s still looking. Are we sure he can’t see outside?” one of the Aurors whispered scared.

“Of course, he can’t see us anymore. Stop looking”, the other Auror said and with a whip of his wand the peephole shut itself. Dumbledore was already at the door when the Aurors and the Minister joined him. He had regained a bit of his posture but putting one foot before the other felt like he was fighting against an invisible spell that tried to pull him back. As they stepped through the door and it fell shut, the long corridor with the single cell at the end disappeared. The mechanical whirring echoed through the silence as the door was locked. They hurried up the stairs back into the sunlit wide rooms. Without another glance at the beautiful scenery they left the castle. On the grounds outside Dumbledore put up spells and charms surrounding the castle, protecting it from unwanted visitors, making it untraceable. The castle on the mountain glittered in the sun, innocently as if it was just a castle of a pompous king. The party left the castle grounds and Disapparated.

 

*

The candles threw long shadows on the walls. Dumbledore averted his tired eyes. He had not bothered lying down and trying to sleep. He knew that sleep would not welcome him tonight. Exhaustion would only drive him into the same nightmares and bittersweet dreams of a spoilt past. He had tried numbing the pain many times after he had finally fought Grindelwald. The night after they had captured Grindelwald, he had drunk a Sleeping potion. He had cast all the spells to numb the terrible aching in his chest but once they wore off, the pain just came back as raw and unhealed as before. It seemed the pain of those memories would stay with him, sometimes blinding him like the bright sun when the morning rose after another sleepless night and sometimes only dully reminding him like a shadow that followed him wherever he went.

Only months had passed after Grindelwald had been locked away at Nurmengard when Dumbledore received the first offer to become the new Minister of Magic which he immediately turned down. He had learnt his lesson long ago. He knew that he was not suited for such a position. He continued his teaching position at Hogwarts as a Transfiguration teacher. The school gave him a routine to follow, work to keep his mind occupied and the feeling of repaying for the damage he had caused. A certain pupil caught his attention, in some ways he reminded Dumbledore of Grindelwald. He was a good looking young man with great talents who seemed to quickly gain a round of admirers. But there was a dark atmosphere surrounding the boy, he seemed unapproachable. He was always surrounded by admirers but he seemed to have no real friends, no one who was really close to him. And Dumbledore told himself that Grindelwald had not been like that. When they had first met…

 

_A blonde young man was standing before one of the graves. Albus walked closer, he had never seen this man before. Godric’s Hollow was a small village, the young man must have moved here only recently. Maybe during the time he had been at Hogwarts? He seemed to be his age. But Albus could not recall anyone like him at Hogwarts. He would have remembered a man like him. The blonde-golden hair had been brushed behind his ears. It was longer and fell in soft waves. He had an extraordinary handsome face, very distinct facial features and his alert eyes were fixed on the tomb before him. Then he suddenly looked up, he seemed to have noticed Albus standing not far from him. As their eyes met, his heart missed a beat. He felt strangely caught. At a loss what to say, Albus lowered his eyes to the tomb. It was Ignotus Peverell’s tomb. The man had looked at the symbol carved onto the tombstone._

_“Are you – are you related to the Peverells?” Albus finally asked. The young man tilted his head, there was arrogance in his movement. He was taller than Albus._

_“No”, the young man simply said._

_“Have you just moved here?” Albus asked next. The young man eyed him suspiciously like an alert animal, unsure whether he could trust Albus._

_“Yeah”, he said very slowly as if he had rather not shared that information with him. Albus looked back at the tombstone._

_“The symbol?” he asked. For a moment something seemed to sparkle in the stranger’s eyes._

_“You know something about it?” the young man asked, he looked like he could hardly hold back his curiosity. He looked intently at Albus._

_“The Deathly Hallows”, Albus said. Now the stranger’s eyes were glowing, he made a step toward Albus._

_“Albus! What are you doing? Hurry up!” the angry voice of Aberforth, his little brother echoed over the graveyard of Godric’s Hollow. Annoyed Albus shortly turned around to look at his wiry young brother standing at the entrance gate. When he turned back, the young man had disappeared. Albus frowned and then with a last glance at the tombstone he hurried to join his brother._

_Just the very next day, Bathilda Bagshot came to visit them. And much to Albus pleasant surprise she brought the young blonde man with her. “My great-nephew has just moved in with me, he is staying for a while”, she said with a kind smile. The young man looked directly at Albus recognising him, too._

_“Albus, this is Gellert”, Bathilda introduced the two. Gellert reached out his hand and Albus took it. Gellert gave him a firm handshake but on his face a smile appeared. It caused tingling up into the tips of Albus’ fingers. He hardly heard what Bathilda said about the two being around the same age and maybe having someone to talk to. Under the pretence of showing Gellert around, they went outside into the garden while Bathilda struck up a conversation with a grumpy Aberforth in the kitchen. Gellert looked at him curiously._

_“Well, I’ve just graduated from school. Hogwarts”, Albus said and then dared a side glance at Gellert. “You didn’t go to Hogwarts, did you?”_

_Gellert softly shook his head. “Durmstrang”, he said. “I’ve heard about it! Have you also graduated already?” Albus asked, now equally curious. Gellert’s lips twitched into a strange smile. “I was expelled”, Gellert said. Albus’ face fell._

_“Most people cannot grasp great ideas with their narrow minds”, Gellert said. Albus thought of his brother. “Yeah”, he murmured._

_“I thought you would understand”, Gellert said. This surprised Albus and he looked at Gellert. “Only few people know about the Deathly Hallows and can understand their potential”, Gellert continued._

_Albus just listened as Gellert went on speaking about the Deathly Hallows and how he had always dreamt about finding them. His fascination with them was contagious. Had Albus not already been intrigued by the Hallows, he would have been by then. Gellert’s way of talking drew him in, mentally and physically. It was like every word they exchanged was a secret that only the other could understand. Albus told him about the Peverell family and that Ignotus Peverell probably was the youngest brother from the Tale of the Tree Brothers, making him the original owner of the Cloak of Invisibility. Gellert listened to his words just as intently as Albus had listened to his. Albus had never before met anyone his age who listened to him and fully grasped the meaning of what he had said and whose words and ideas excited him so much he could not stop smiling. He could hardly wait to see him again._

_They spent every day together from then on, discussing their ideas, sometimes they spoke about articles on spells and potions and about wizard’s politics. When they parted ways late in the evening, sometimes another thought would strike them and they exchanged letters sending an owl. Albus had close friends but he had never had had a friend like Gellert. Sometimes he lay awake at night and as he would think about the time he had spent with Gellert that day, he could no longer say whether the excitement and overflowing happiness he felt was purely because he felt so understood and had found a real friend or whether it was something else entirely. One evening they were discussing one of Albus’ ideas. The Greater Good. Gellert had gotten very excited when Albus had uttered those words out loud although he had mentioned it before in a letter. Gellert leaned closer to Albus, he raised his hands and tapped Albus’ chest._

_“This will be the heart of our philosophy”, Gellert said. In the heat of the moment, Albus took Gellert’s hands. They were so close, he could see the light of the candles reflecting in Gellert’s eyes. The blonde hair was falling in waves almost reaching his shoulders. Albus abruptly let go off Gellert’s hands in fear that Gellert had felt his fingers starting to tremble. He didn’t dare to look any longer into Gellert’s eyes. “It’s late. Let’s continue tomorrow”, he said and got up. This small moment seemed to have thrown his mind into chaos. Gellert got up, too. Albus flinched when he felt Gellert’s hands grabbing his arm._

_“Why don’t you stay the night?” Gellert asked. Albus opened his mouth in surprise. He wasn’t sure how he could sleep here. “Stay”, Gellert said quietly, stepping closer. Albus heard himself say: “Okay”._

_He sent an owl to his home to tell Aberforth that he would stay over at Gellert’s place for the night. They picked up their discussion about the Greater Good. But somehow Gellert was as restless as Albus felt. Their conversation somehow faded out as if both of them thought about something else. Albus was sitting on Gellert’s bed and after a long silence, he dared to turn his head and look at Gellert. He had fallen asleep. His shirt was half open, exposing his chest, rising and falling slowly. His hair was falling into his face. Albus sat a bit closer and watched him like that for a few moments. He knew that to him Gellert was no longer just his best friend. He reached out his hand. He hesitated and then slowly touched Gellert’s hair. It was soft. Very gently he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing a few strands out of his face. His heart almost jumped out of his chest when Gellert opened his eyes._

_“I’m –“, Albus started in panic and pulled back his hand. Gellert just looked at him. “Come, lay down”, he finally said then. Albus had not expected him to say anything like that but he lifted the sheets and slipped under them as far away from Gellert as it was possible in the bed. Albus thought Gellert could hear his anxious breathing as well as his heart beating hard and fast, so he avoided looking at him, scared that he had ruined everything._

_“Albus”._

_He slowly turned his head on the pillow at his name. “What’s wrong?” Gellert asked softly._

_“N-Nothing”, Albus said nervously._

_“You’re lying”, Gellert said but it didn’t sound accusing. He slid closer. “Are you still worried?” Gellert asked._

_“Worried?” Albus asked confused._

_“You looked so worried when we spoke about Muggles earlier”, Gellert said and propped himself up on his right arm. With his left hand he touched Albus’ cheek. The breath got stuck in Albus’ throat and he didn’t dare to breathe._

_“It’ll be just like you said, for the Greater Good. We won’t be cruel or merciless – of course not”, he said quietly while his thumb caressed his cheek slightly. Something like an agreeing hum came over Albus’ lips. Gellert lifted his hand. “Good night, Albus”._

_He lay back down, but so close that their arms were touching. “Good night”, Albus whispered and closed his eyes. His heart beating so fast, full of hope._

 

_The next day Albus had to go back home because of his brother and sister. He knew that he had to look after them, he had been away for an entire day and night. “I’ll meet you in the afternoon”, he said as he hurriedly put on his boots. “See you”, Gellert said and Albus rushed out of the door. His brother was agitated that Albus had been gone for so long. They argued but quickly stopped as to not upset Ariana. It was exhausting and annoying. Albus couldn’t wait to finally leave again. After having taken care of his sister, he told Aberforth to prepare the bath for her in the evening as he would be out._

_“Of course, you’re not there. This is your job! You should be doing this but here you go, running off again!”_

_Albus left quickly and paced around the garden in circles. He didn’t want to go to Gellert in a bad mood._

_“You shouldn’t get angry over something like that. He just doesn’t understand”. Albus jumped. Gellert was standing at the gate to the garden. “Gellert!” Albus’ bad mood seemed to wash away immediately upon seeing him. He hurried over to him and opened the gate. Gellert was smiling at him._

_“Let’s go down to the lake”, Gellert said. “The lake?” Albus asked surprised. Gellert took his arm and pulled him along for a few steps before letting go. They walked in silence through the wild nature and then down a rolling hill._

_“I love this scenery”, Gellert said quietly as they stood at the lake. Mountains rose in the distance and the sun was sparkling on the lake. But Albus didn’t look at the lake or the mountains. “There is a place in Austria like this… the mountains are bigger, closer. I really want to show it to you, it’s a special place”, Gellert said. He turned and looked at Albus. “Don’t worry about your brother”, Gellert said. “I’m not worried about my brother”, Albus said. His heart wouldn’t calm down, his fingers wouldn’t stop shaking. “What bothers you so much, Albus?” Gellert asked, a frown appearing between his brows._

_“Tell me”, he demanded. “Tell me”, he repeated but his voice was gentle and he stepped closer. “Nothing stands between us, you know that”._

_Albus felt excitement rush through his veins and at the same time fear. This could ruin everything. But hadn’t Gellert reached out to him, too? The night before, when he had touched his cheek?_

_“Albus, nothing will separate us”, Gellert said._

_“Are you sure about that?” Albus asked._

_“Of course”, Gellert said, a little surprised. “Of course”, he repeated firmly. Albus stepped even closer, their shoes were touching._

_“Nothing?” he whispered. “Nothing”, Gellert said quietly. The tips of their noses brushed against each other when Albus tip toed. He placed a kiss on Gellert’s lips, not daring to look he kept his eyes closed as he pulled away again. He turned his head away. He opened his eyes when he felt Gellert’s slim fingers on his chin. Gellert was looking at him but Albus could not read his expression. Then Gellert’s hand slid down resting below Albus’ ear on his neck._

_“I’ll always be with you. Will you, too?” Gellert asked._

_“Yes”, the answer came so fast and breathy of excitement that Albus was almost ashamed. “We will never fight each other?” Gellert asked._

_“Never”, Albus said. Gellert leaned in and their foreheads touched. “Never”._

 

_It didn’t even take persuasion to seal a blood pact with Gellert, Albus had immediately agreed when Gellert brought it up. It was all of their intense feelings and moments rushing through him all at once when Gellert interlaced their fingers. Gellert pocketed the silver vial that carried their blood. Then he took Albus’ hand and ran his finger over the fresh cut which immediately healed itself. Still shaken up and emotional Albus could hardly stand. Gellert was breathing fast, too._

_“Let me heal your hand, too”, Albus said and took Gellert’s hand and ran his thumb over Gellert’s hand. Then Gellert opened his hand and Albus’ fingers interlaced with Gellert’s once more._


	2. Chapter 2

It took several school years until Dumbledore could sleep again without being haunted every night by memories of Grindelwald and their past. As he watched his pupils go through their own heartbreaks and falling in love, he caught himself almost envying them. He envied them for their freedom and their youth, of being infatuated by someone so entirely and being free to act upon that. He wondered whether after all this time he could heal from the emptiness that Grindelwald had left behind.

It was almost 4 years after Grindelwald had been locked away that he went back to the room on the seventh floor. He slid through the door and walked up to the tall mirror standing in the room. Hesitating for a second, holding his breath, then he pulled down the blanket covering the Mirror of Erised. Slowly he looked up and there he was. The young blonde haired man stepped up to him smiling, reaching out his hand and like in trance Dumbledore raised his hand and put his palm against the glass. Forgetting about the Mirror, he expected to feel a warm hand, fingers interlacing. But his fingers only scraped against cool glass.  
How long he stood there he didn’t know. But against his better judgement he returned every free evening and hour he had to spare, pressing his hand against the glass almost as if he hoped that this time he could fall through and be there again.

 

_Gellert always had the vial with him, he wore it as a necklace. He never put it down, he even slept wearing it.  
Albus spent the first nights after they had made their blood pact at Gellert's home sitting on the bed, watching Gellert sleep. It seemed unbelievable that Gellert would hold onto their vial like that, and treasure it above everything else. Albus was always confident and sure about his ideas and words but when it came to approach Gellert, to touch his hand and be closer, his confidence always seemed to leave him. It was Gellert who seemed to allow him in, invite him to slide closer and sleep with his head on Gellert’s chest. It was Gellert who always reached out his hand for Albus to take. Whenever he would hold out his hand like that, Albus had to take it. He could not resist and Gellert could have taken him anywhere, he would have followed. After their blood pact, Albus stayed over night more and more. Occasionally, Gellert would also sleep over in Albus’ room. On his narrow bed, the two were pressed up against each other tightly to fit in. But Gellert did not mind, he never did. When Albus was bold enough to reach out to him first, a smile would appear on his lips. The same smile that had baffled Albus on their first official meeting. The smile that sent shivers all over his body. The smile that drove everything else out of Albus' mind but Gellert’s lips and how much he desired to kiss them again. _

_In late August, Bathilda - Gellert’s great aunt - went out for a three day long convention for Magical History and Gellert asked Albus to stay over for those few days._

_“It’ll be just us. Just the two of us”, he said and his hand rested on Albus’ face. His thumb touched Albus’ lips._

_It was a warm summer night and the window stood open. The sound of cicadas and the candle softly hissing in a gentle breeze were the only sounds in the room. Gellert was unusually quiet, the two were sitting on the bed. Gellert was leaning back against the head of the bed. Albus was leaning against the bedpost looking out the window. It was a clear night, if they had blown out the candle, they would have seen the stars speckled all over a velvet dark blue sky._

_“Albus”._

_He turned his head surprised. The bed sheets rustled as Gellert crawled over the mattress to sit next to Albus. “Yes?”_

_Gellert had come closer. He raised his hands carefully. Everything he did was slow and gentle as if he had thought about it for a long time but it had only struck him in the moment of it, to actually act. He cupped Albus’ face and leaned forward. Their noses brushed and Albus’ breath hitched. Gellert stopped moving as if he waited for something. Albus anxiously looked at him, he was so close, he could not see him properly but Gellert’s eyes were closed. Hesitant Albus put his hands against Gellert’s chest, his fingertips bumped into the vial. Under his fingers he could feel Gellert’s heart beat fast. Albus closed his eyes, still in disbelief that Gellert’s heart would beat so fast for him and he gasped when Gellert finally crossed the last distance and pulled him into a kiss. It was nothing like the peck Albus had placed on Gellert’s lips at the lake. Gellert moved his lips against Albus’, leaning into the kiss as if he had desired to kiss him as much as Albus had.  
Albus shifted and caused them to fall. Gellert landed on his back and Albus landed on top of him. The mattress creaked but they did not break their kiss. Gellert’s hands just went into Albus hair and they both opened their lips in a gasp. Gellert rolled to the side and pinned Albus beneath him so suddenly that for a short second their lips parted. Albus opened his eyes and saw excitement glowing in Gellert’s eyes and a small excited laugh escaped Albus’. Gellert leaned down to him and the vial swung forward, bumping against Albus’ chest, the fine chain resting coolly on Albus’ skin. Gellert’s breath tickled Albus ear as Gellert whispered into his ear, his lips brushing him gently. _

_“I want you”. He propped himself up again to look into Albus’ face. Albus’ eyes were widened and he felt Gellert’s fingers touching the back of his hand. He opened his hand and their fingers interlaced as Gellert kissed him again. Albus could not remember whether Gellert had asked him whether he wanted him, too, or whether Albus had just said that he wanted him or whether he had said nothing at all. But it didn't matter, they understood each other without words.  
_

*

The snow hadn't stopped falling for a week and lay in soft peaks on the window sill, glowing bluish in the night. Dumbledore awoke with a start, his body aching from the uncomfortable position he had fallen asleep. With a groan he sat up and his heart skipped a painful beat as he saw - Grindelwald looking down at him with a rather odd smile. Almost as if he was amused of seeing Dumbledore lying there on the ground. Dumbledore blinked rapidly and finally snapped out of it. The Grindelwald that was smiling down at him did not speak, he was just an image on the cold glass of the Mirror. He needed to put an end to this. He could not waste away like this. If he continued like this he would go mad. He put the blanket back over the Mirror and shut the door behind it.

When he felt the intense urge of returning to the Mirror the same evening, he had a hard time concealing it during the dinner in the Great Hall. His hands were trembling like an addict desperate for their next shot. But he could not return to the image of him, torturing himself in front of it, wishing for things to have gone differently. And so he arranged a portkey to Austria instead.

Under the pretence of checking whether all protective enchantments were still in order he was allowed to visit the castle on the high mountains. He walked through the magical barrier he had put up himself, but this time he was on his own. No Aurors or prison caretakers accompanied him.

The sun shone brightly like the last time he had been there. He reached the large room with the splendid view of the mountains and the river and the lake. He tore his eyes away from the view and looked around the room. He let his fingers run over the oak desk and his eyes fell on a perch for a large bird. For a strange moment, he imagined putting his things into this room like an office. His books could fit into the empty bookshelves made from handsome dark wood. He saw Fawkes sitting on the perch. He shook his head to rid himself of the image.

He braced himself and finally took the great staircase down into the deep cellar of Nurmengard. His steps echoed through the darkness.

“Lumos”, he whispered and the long corridor was illuminated.

He tapped the heavily secured door and with a mechanic whirring it unlocked. He stepped through it and walked through the long corridor. Almost like a sleep walker, he approached the door. He pointed his wand at the door but the peephole was already open. Maybe the caretakers had forgotten to close it? He stepped closer, a short moment of panic and something else flooding through his body. There on the bed in the corner, a man was lying. He looked gaunt, the hair was long, dirty and matted. Then suddenly he sat up and looked at the peephole. Dumbledore froze. He shouldn’t be able to see nor hear him but Grindelwald got up and walked as close as possible to the door. Slowly, he rose one hand, reaching out. And they looked at each other without seeing another. Like in a trance Dumbledore lifted his wand-free hand and placed his palm against the door. It was colder and harder than the glass of the Mirror. Grindelwald’s cracked lips moved. But there was no sound. The blue eyes had faded but there was a little sparkle in his eyes when his lips moved again. He couldn’t hear him but he was sure that he said the same thing again and again. When he turned away it was as if he had awoken from a dream. He wiped his tears away and hurried down the corridor and shut the heavy door as if to drown out Grindelwald silently saying his name over and over again.

 

He didn’t sleep again. He needed his mind elsewhere, a new danger approaching the wizard community. Somehow stopping Tom Riddle, that boy that had reminded him so much of a young Gellert Grindelwald, seemed tightly interwoven with easing the pain in his heart. Every time news of Tom Riddle and his followers terrorising Muggles reached Dumbledore, which happened rather regularly, Dumbledore took a portkey to Austria. He was not sure why. It was as if he wanted to make sure that Grindelwald was still there, alive. Dumbledore insisted on visiting Grindelwald in his cell alone, he feared that should someone accompany him, they would doubt the spells he had put up around Grindelwald. Because it seemed that every time Dumbledore visited Grindelwald, he would know. Grindelwald would get up and look at him.

From the prison caretakers Dumbledore had heard that Grindelwald usually did not speak a word nor did he move. But whenever Dumbledore was there, it was like looking into the Mirror. They both looked at each other and yet, did not see each other. Grindelwald could not see Dumbledore. Once or twice he was tempted to lift the charm just so they could really see each other. But he feared that he could give in and finally lift all the enchantments just to go inside and to reach out his hand and finally not feel cold glass or steel but his warm hand.

Over time, it got more and more painful to see Grindelwald age in that cellar and the thought that Grindelwald looked at the narrow peephole still imagining Dumbledore as the one he had been when they had fought decades ago was too much to bear. His visits to Nurmengard got rarer but still he could not entirely give up on visiting.

 

It was a cold and rainy day, 50 years after Grindelwald's imprisonment when he stood in the large room with the same fantastic view that was spoilt by rain and fog and  thought that it would be his last visit. The Ministry was watching his every move and getting to Nurmengard was now harder than before. Fudge would end up claiming that Dumbledore was trying to help Grindelwald break out to cause chaos, a ridiculous idea but it would feed into the rubbish the Daily Prophet was writing. He normally did not care much for what others said about him but it were critical times.  
After Harry Potter had returned last year from the last Task of the Triwizard Tournament clutching a dead Cedric and had cried that Voldemort had returned, Dumbledore knew that difficult times lay ahead.

“Professor Dumbledore, sir”.

He turned around as two prison caretakers entered the room. “Yes?” he asked kindly. The prison caretaker that had spoken exchanged a short gaze with the other.

“After your last visit”, he started. Dumbledore frowned. “After your last visit, Grindelwald spoke for the first time with us in 50 years. We lifted the charm temporarily because we saw that he was saying something”, the prison caretaker said. Dumbledore said nothing.

“We think the message is for you”, the other caretaker said. “It sounded as if he knew that you were visiting him”, he added. Dumbledore still didn’t speak, he just looked at the two prison caretakers. He had managed to keep his visits and their hours of looking at each other a secret for all these years.

“What did he say?” he finally asked. There was a long silence.

“He said that he regretted what he has done and –“, the prison caretaker said then. It felt like Dumbledore had held his breath for all those years, his head underwater and now he was about to break through the surface breathing again. “And?” Dumbledore asked tensely.

“He said he’d finally understand”, the caretaker said with a frown. “We don’t know what he meant by that”.

Dumbledore walked to the door, he had already opened it when he stopped. “When did he say that?” he asked.

“Right after you left, sir. Last summer. Mind you, I never thought he’d speak ever again. I’m surprised he’s lived for so long”, the caretaker said. “Strange, eh? Never guarded a prisoner for this long and there were other caretakers before us. Wonder what’s keeping him sane and alive”. Dumbledore closed the door and walked down the long corridor. This will be the last time, he thought as he unlocked the door and approached the cell at the end of the corridor.

 

But one year later, he found himself back at the castle of Nurmengard. He sat in the large room with the view. Just like last time the scenery was not visible. Raindrops were hammering against the window. A thunder rumbled in the distance. A thick layer of dust coated everything in the room, Dumbledore had heard that one of the prison caretakers had disappeared mysteriously a month earlier. Upon hearing the news he had arranged to see Nurmengard as soon as possible. He found the protective charms around the castle weakened but yet intact. Grindelwald would not escape, he was sure of that. The spells were no longer to keep him inside but to keep others away. Dumbledore looked down at his hands. How stupid he had been, he had not learnt from his mistakes. His right hand was burnt black because he had been foolish enough, greedy enough to try and use the Resurrection Stone. How excited he had gotten when he had found it. And his first thought had been to see his family again. He wanted to apologise for his stupid mistakes. And yet the second thought had been Gellert. He had wanted to show him, tell him that he had found the Stone…

With a heavy sigh he got up and left the room. He had come to visit him, solely because for the first time in all those years, he needed someone to talk to, someone who would understand. Half ashamed-half excited he walked down the corridor to Grindelwald’s cell and then stopped. He turned around and cast a spell behind him. No one should surprise him and accidentally overhear his words. He doubted that anyone would come, the other caretaker no longer lived in the castle but only dropped by occasionally and did not seem like he wanted to spent too much time in the castle.

Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out the Deluminator. It had been a long time since he had used it and for a moment he just held it in his hand. Then he clicked it, several light balls flew out and floated in mid-air. They illuminated the dark corridor and the cell behind the door. He looked through the peephole and saw Grindelwald, he was still sitting on his bed. It seemed that he was struggling to get up. He put the Deluminator back into his robes and put his hands against the cold door. For the first time during his visits he opened his mouth and spoke: “Gellert”.

The man on the bed didn’t hear him, he was still trying to get out of bed. Dumbledore lifted one of his hands and then stopped. The man on the bed had stopped moving. He looked up, staring at the peephole. Dumbledore tapped the door with his wand, then touched one of the light balls. It was burning hot and tingled on his fingertips, a sensation vaguely familar. A smile that had sent shivers down his entire body up into the fingertips. With the thought of Grindelwald's smile, he gave the light ball a gentle shove. It floated towards the door and with a sizzling sound it went right through. The light ball reappeared in the cell. Grindelwald stared at it as it floated right towards him.

“Albus?” His voice was croaked and hoarse, but it was his voice.

The light ball stopped right before Grindelwald’s chest and then with a gasp it went right into his chest. He got up, moving swiftly as if he was young again. He walked to the door but the magical barrier blocking him was still there. He lifted his hand and reached it out and held it up as if to take Dumbledore’s hand that was still resting against the door.

“I was a fool. Such a fool. I haven’t learnt from my mistakes”, the words blurted out of Dumbledore. It was almost as if he was a teenager again, coming to his best friend seeking comfort. “Voldemort will come and look for the Elder Wand, he has turned the Resurrection Stone into a Horcrux”, he continued and as if to order his thoughts, he spoke about everything that had happened during the last 16 years. He was leaning against the door for support not daring to look through the peephole.

When he had finished he finally looked and saw Grindelwald still standing in front of the door. His hand was now resting on his chest where the light ball had entered his chest. Dumbledore took a deep breath and retracted his hand from the door. He clicked the Deluminator and the remaining light balls that were hanging in the air returned to the Deluminator, he tapped the door again and restored the charm that had blocked out every voice exchange. He had hoped to hear his voice one last time. But Grindelwald had not spoken, silently he had grabbed his chest as if to feel for the light ball that had entered him.

The enchanted door fell shut behind him and he sealed it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since reading the 7th book, I have been thinking about the original intention of the Deluminator. Dumbledore created it himself and I highly suspect he used it - not to turn off and on lights - before he gave it to Ron...
> 
> Thank you so so much for the kudos and nice comments! I know there are intense time skips in this story, I hope they are not too crazy or confusing and you are still enjoying the story! There will be about 1-2 more chapters to come.


	3. Chapter 3

In the deepest darkness day and night had flowed into each other. The sparse food and drink Grindelwald was served, the fresh clothes that occasionally came, hadn’t helped him to tell the time or date. Drained and exhausted, he was left with nothing but his own thoughts. His head was the actual prison. He remembered Dumbledore’s face as it had disappeared behind the peephole, casting a spell that would it make it impossible for him to communicate with someone outside. 

Sometimes when the caretakers came, they would lift the spell to ask him questions but he did not listen. It was never the right voice calling him. Whenever sleep was merciful and dreams let him escape this cell and the thoughts of his, he dived into memories of a dimly lit barn, fingers interlaced, the sun glittering on a lake and a young man, smaller than him with glowing eyes looking at him. His waking thoughts were filled with the same man, older. Eyes full of sadness, his hands still clutching onto his wand, trembling slightly, almost reaching out. Almost. Hesitant.

 _We will never fight. Never. What’s bothering you so much?_ Glittering tears, whispered words at his defeat. _I wanted to save you…_

 

And just when he thought he’d never wake up again, not being able to tell dream and reality apart, he came. He stood there at the door. At first he was sure it was a dream, another dream. But he could feel his presence so strongly, it had to be real. He stood there for a long time but as soon as he called out his name, the presence disappeared. Had his name driven him away?

But the presence returned, disappeared and returned. And Grindelwald was sure, Albus Dumbledore was visiting him. The thought of his presence, so close and strong, kept him sane and alive. He lived for the moments where he was there. His heart seemed to beat again. He did not dare to speak and stared intently at the peephole, willing the spell to break. Hungry to see his eyes, his face. But drained of all his magic, it never broke. He still got up every time he felt his presence. No enchantment, no spell could ever hide this presence from him. He shuffled in front of the door as close as he could, the barrier still blocking him. Somehow he hoped that Dumbledore would one day break the enchantments just for a moment. A word, a gaze, a touch.

But then the visits got rarer. He caught a few snippets of conversation when the caretakers came to bring food and drinks. A dark wizard had risen to power once more, Lord Voldemort as he called himself. He had been powerful before but then something had stopped him. He had not heard much but he strongly suspected that Dumbledore had played a big part in it. According to the caretakers he was much worse than he, Grindelwald himself, had ever been. He had not expected to hear something like that and be affected by it. It was an uncomfortable feeling deep down in his guts.

After he had heard about the dark wizard's return, he had fallen asleep into an uneasy sleep and dreams full of strange moments. A street blown up, dead bodies, green light flashing, screaming, a large blue fire which turned into a soft crackling fire.

 

*

_The bed creaked as Albus shifted. The fire had almost burnt down but it still turned Albus’ auburn hair into a deep red shade. His shirt was open, hanging loosely around his shoulders. They had talked through the night again. The sun had not risen yet. Albus yawned and a soft laughter fell from Gellert’s lips. It had been one of the nights in which they had not discussed any great ideas for their ideology or path to take over the wizarding world. Instead they had spoken about another part of their future. Albus, usually confident and always stating his opinion freely, had suddenly gotten shy. His shyness had made Gellert feel a little uneasy, too. He had never felt like that._

_The image of the majestic mountains and a castle which Gellert had conjured into the air had already faded away. They had talked a prison which was necessary – for enemies. But then they had turned to another topic, they would travel a lot together, but they needed a base to which they could always return. A home._

_“A large window front from which you can see the mountains and the river and the sky”, Gellert had said._

_“It can be used for meetings”, Albus thought out loud._

_“No”, Gellert said almost harshly. Albus looked surprised at him._

_“It is our room. I told you the view is special”, Gellert said and conjured the image again. “The river that flows in between the mountains and the lake”, he murmured as he drew his wand through the air. And the symbol of the Deathly Hallows glowed over the picture of the mountains and the lake._

_“Our room?” Albus asked quietly._

_“Yes, we can put up a perch. Once you get your phoenix –“, Gellert said._

_“That’s a legend. And it would be the announcer of great trouble. The phoenix will only show itself to me in times of greatest need. I know it won’t be easy, of course we will face resistance but still…”, Albus said. Then he looked at Gellert._

_“We’ll face it together”, Gellert said. He rose his arm and placed his hand on Albus’ cheek. Somehow the topic of them living together, building a home had thrown them off their usual discourse._

_“Let’s go down to the lake”, Albus said suddenly and sat up._

_“What? Now?” Gellert asked surprised._

_“The sun will rise soon”, Albus said and jumped out of bed._

_“A minute ago you almost fell asleep”, Gellert said._

_“Come!”_

_Albus grabbed a cloak and threw it around his shoulders. Finally Gellert slipped out of bed and followed him. They reached the lake just in time for sunrise. The lake was a deep shade of black and red as the sun quickly rose before them. Albus sat down on the damp grass and Gellert sat next to him. Their hands brushed against each other. The sun was already warming their cold faces and Albus turned to look at Gellert. His eyes lowered to Gellert’s lips but he quickly averted his eyes again. He had the same glowing intense look in his eyes as he had when they spoke about the Hallows._

_“Albus”, Gellert said. Albus turned his head but did not look up into Gellert’s eyes. Gellert reached out his hand and put it on Albus neck just below his ear. “I love you”. The words seemed to have slipped out of Albus’ mouth unintentionally. He flinched, his ears reddened and he tried to turn away again. He gasped when Gellert pulled him close and kissed him. Albus was trembling, breathing fast, holding tightly onto Gellert’s shirt. He pulled back and – a flash of green light._

 

Grindelwald sat up abruptly, gasping for air. Sweat rolling down his temples. “Albus?” his voice was hoarse as he looked around in the darkness as if he expected the young man to lie somewhere next to him, dead. There was a soft click and the small part of the door was opened as food and drinks were quickly flown inside.

“Wait”, he called. The door was shut and Grindelwald got up. "WAIT!" He dragged himself to the door, his body shaking as if it was fighting a heavy fever. The door clicked again and a shadow appeared at the peephole.

“Tell him, I regret… what I have done. I finally understand”, he called. His voice was hoarse and it was almost exhausting to talk again. His words should they reach Dumbledore, would surely make him come quickly back to visit him. And they did.

A month later, he came. He stood in front of the door for a long time and the dark feeling in Grindelwald’s guts increased. It felt like his body was falling apart. Dumbledore had come back, he always came back, after everything he was still there. The pain was so terrible, he thought he was going to die. He had heard that feeling remorse to mend a broken soul could kill. But his body did not give in, he stood in front of the door looking at the peephole. But he could not say a single word, it cost all his efforts to stand up right and look at where he thought Dumbledore stood. Only when Dumbledore’s presence disappeared, his body could no longer hold him up. His own screams echoed in his head, but the enchantments shielded everyone including Dumbledore from his shouts.

Somehow he had managed to get back onto the bed. His body was aching all over and he could not move a single muscle. He laid there, in a half-sleep, waiting for death. But instead life tortured him with distorted memories of people disappearing in flashes of green light, but when the body hit the floor it was always Dumbledore who lay on the ground, dead. Sometimes he dreamt of Albus screaming, pleading him to stop and to hurt him and leave his siblings alone. And then one day or night, he thought it was yet another dream, but there was a presence at the door. Then there was a clicking sound. The dreams and memories had drained him of all his energy, so he did not move.

“Gellert”.

It was his voice, it had to be his voice. Aged, a little hoarse, pained. But it was his voice. Grindelwald struggled to get up but his body was too weak. There was another click and he stopped moving. He looked up at the peephole and there was a faint shadow. Something glittered. A ball of light was floating through the air towards him. Grindelwald stared at it as it floated right towards him.

“Albus?”

The light ball stopped right before Grindelwald’s chest and then with a gasp it went right into his chest. It was hot and for a moment he thought it would burn him as the blazing heat touched him but instead it filled him with a sudden comfortable warmth. It spread through his body up into his fingertips. For a second he thought he heard a distant voice and a happy laugh, a fleeting image of a young man with auburn hair. Was it a charm, a spell? He had never experienced anything like it before. And the only one capable of such magic was Dumbledore. Grindelwald moved and his body obeyed. He got up quickly and walked to the door but the magical barrier blocking him was still there. He lifted his hand and reached it out. If the light ball had gotten in, was he there to lift the enchantments? Would he see him? But instead Dumbledore began talking:

“I was a fool. Such a fool. I haven’t learnt from my mistakes”.

He talked and it was almost like they were sitting in Grindelwald’s room the fire had burnt down and it was dark. Grindelwald's chest suddenly burnt and with a groan he grabbed his chest. For the split of a second he had seen a high tower and a body falling. Several people running, chaos, curses and spells flashing through the air. He had not seen anything since he had been put into prison, his magic sealed away. But as he touched his chest, the image was already fleeting from his mind and it was not painful anymore. His body felt light as if all the weight of the terrible memories and the years he had spent in this dark prison had fallen from him. There was a soft click and the shadow in the peephole disappeared. There was another click and silence fell.

But the lightness and warmth in his chest did not fade, it stayed with him and let him sleep again. He expected Dumbledore to fight against the dark wizard and not return until he had been defeated. So he would wait for him to return, successful once more.

 _Horcruxes_ … that word stirred something in his mind. He had always been fascinated by the Dark Arts but Horcruxes had never tempted him. When he had killed it had been with reason to achieve his goal, necessary steps. He had believed that these were justified deaths, for a good cause. The Greater Good. But the horror on Dumbledore’s face upon seeing Ariana dead on the floor had changed everything for him. It seemed no death was tolerable for him, rising his wand and eradicating just one life was a burden too heavy for him to carry. The rush of might and of terrible fear, a wild mix that had overcame Grindelwald when he had caused death for the first time was the first time Dumbledore could no longer understand him. But it was so very different rising his wand against Dumbledore.

Grindelwald wondered how broken his own soul had been from the deaths he had caused and whether the remorse that had tortured him for the past days, months and maybe years could have mended his soul. After all he, too, had tied his soul to something, another living soul. Not to a cold object, but to a rare soul with a beating heart because he had never felt more alive than when he had been with Dumbledore. They had bound their souls together, but not to evade death. While killing was necessary to create a Horcrux, a Blood Pact as they had made, only asked for one thing. Now, looking back on the memories of Dumbledore standing before him in that dimly lit barn, their fingers interlaced, he realised that he had never said it out loud to Dumbledore…

But maybe he had known, understood… maybe that’s why he had come back again and again.

*

Dumbledore sat down with a very heavy sigh. He was exhausted from the journey and his hand was causing him more trouble. One year maximum… It seemed he was running out of time, he had to hurry and entrust Harry with all the information that he needed to complete the mission.

But first – he pointed his wand at his desk and a long roll of parchment flew out of one of the drawers. A handsome quill stood still on the top of the parchment ready to write. Dumbledore took out the Deluminator once again and turned it in his hand. He carefully clicked it and all the lights of his office went out. He gently tapped the Deluminator with his wand and when he clicked it again the lights returned to their sources but one light ball was floating in the air, hovering right before his face. He pointed his wand at it and it buzzed and vibrated, then he clicked the Deluminator and the light ball descended into the object.

He turned to the parchment and the waiting quill. Then he said slowly and clearly:

“The Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long to update! Uni is very stressful at the moment. You can expect the next (last) chapter next week on either Thursday or Friday!
> 
> For these last 2 chapters, I put the focus on Grindelwald's POV. Grindelwald never made a Horcrux as far as we know but he still killed people and it would have damaged his soul in some way. Re-reading the Deathly Hallows, it stuck with me that Grindelwald is said to have felt remorse later in Nurmengard, and I really wanted to incorporate that.  
> I'm super curious to hear what you think about that!


	4. Chapter 4

_“And a fresh load of cloaks”, Gellert said and dumped them on the bed. “Bathilda washed them for me”. Albus looked up from a large map._

_“Did she – did she say anything?” he asked hesitant._

_“Well, I guess, she’s suspecting that we’re planning something. But she didn’t say anything yet”, Gellert said and pointed his wand at an already half full trunk._

_The freshly washed cloaks flew into the trunk and neatly folded themselves. Albus smiled. Gellert hated untidiness. It had been clearly visible on his face when he had visited Albus’ room for the first time. Albus’ room was stuffed full of random objects, books and prizes. It all had an order to Albus but to an outsider it would have looked like a complete mess. Albus had tried to explain his order to Gellert but in the end he would tidy and clean his room as much as possible whenever Gellert came over. Gellert had appreciated the attempt with a rather forced smile and endured it, after a few weeks he had grown to tolerate the organised mess, but he'd still rather spent time outside or in his own room._

_“What about the portkey?” Gellert asked as he waved his wand and the now full trunk shut itself._

_“I’d prefer we arrange an official one, you know”, Albus said warily. Gellert sat down on the bed and took Albus’ face into his hands._

_“I’m sure Bathilda will arrange one for us. Don’t worry, everything will go smoothly. We have taken all the precautions, we are ready”, Gellert said. Albus smiled. “Yeah”._

_Gellert smiled back at him and leaned forward. Kissing Gellert still made Albus’ heart race but now with the prospect of finally leaving this boring village and take on action, doing everything they had discussed in theory for the past 2 months, his heart beat even faster. He had just gently pulled on Gellert’s shirt to deepen their kiss when the bedroom door flew open._

_They let go off each other abruptly and with a terrible sinking feeling in his gut, Albus stared at his younger brother. Albus’ cheeks and ears felt hot with embarrassment at being caught, but at the same time annoyance that Aberforth had interrupted such a wonderful moment._

_Aberforth stared at them for a long silent moment. Albus didn’t dare to look at Gellert. He was scared that Gellert would deny it and push him away. But Aberforth’s eyes rested on their packed trunks._

_“Going somewhere?” he asked sharply._

_“Yes”, Gellert answered simply._

_“And where to, if I may ask?” Aberforth asked with the same curt voice._

_Albus stole a side glance and saw a cold glare in Gellert’s eyes. He had never before seen such a look upon his face and for a moment he hoped that he, too, was annoyed that Aberforth had interrupted their kiss._

_“None of your business”, Gellert said harshly. Aberforth let out a cold laugh._

_“It is my business. I am leaving for Hogwarts in a couple of days. What about Ariana? You can’t leave her here”, Aberforth said._

_“We won’t”, Albus said carefully._

_“Ohh...”, Aberforth said and looked at Albus. He stared at his older brother in disbelief and then began to laugh. “You cannot take Ariana with you – wherever it is, you are going!” he said then._

_“I can – we have made all preparations –“, Albus began._

_“NO, YOU CAN’T! WILL YOU FOR ONE SECOND NOT THINK OF YOURSELVES? THINK OF HER! WHAT THIS JOURNEY WOULD DO TO HER!”, Aberforth began shouting._

_Gellert looked at Albus and saw something change in his face. He slid down from the bed._

_“You don’t understand any of this. You cannot grasp the potential, the magnificent intellect of your brother! What he is capable of! Do not stand in his way”, Gellert said, towering over Aberforth. But Aberforth didn’t seem to be impressed by the much taller man._

_“Do you really care so little for your sister?” Aberforth asked. Albus got off the bed and stood next to Gellert._

_“Listen, Aberforth”, Albus began but he immediately interrupted himself._

 

_“What’s going on?”_

_Aberforth turned around. Ariana was standing behind him, her eyes were widened and she was holding onto the doorframe._

_“Nothing”, Albus said quickly. “It’s alright. We’ll be down for dinner in a few minutes. Why don’t you go ahead -?”_

_\- “No. Why don’t you explain your brilliant plan to her? Right now!” Aberforth demanded. Albus looked at Gellert. The dark look on Gellert’s face suddenly changed into a very friendly one. The charming smile appeared on his lips so quickly that it made Albus shiver._

_“Ariana”, he said calmly. She looked at him, they had rarely met in the past months. But whenever they had, Albus had watched in amazement how patient and gentle Gellert had been with her. He had taken it as a proof that taking Ariana with them could work.  
_

_“Albus told me you really wanted to go outside again”, he said gently. She looked at him silently, her eyes widened._

_“You – you don’t just want to see the sun, you want to feel it on your skin. So warm and nice. Hear the birds and see the butterflies. You want to go outside again, don’t you, Ariana?” he asked. Very slowly she nodded._

_“Stop your nonsense-talk! You don’t do that to my sister, twisting her mind”, Aberforth said aggressively._

_“This is no nonsense. Albus and I will create a world in which Ariana has no longer to hide!” Gellert said loudly. Ariana’s eyes were still fixed on him, her mouth was slightly open._

_“I can go outside?” she asked._

_“Yes, no more hiding. There is a wonderful place. Albus and I want you to come with us. You will like it, you can go outside and enjoy the sun as much as you like”, Gellert said and gently put his hands onto her frail shoulders. In the next second he was pushed harshly backwards by Aberforth._

_“Don’t touch my sister and try to use your sweet talk on her, you evil snake”, he hissed._

_There was a loud smack and a scream. Aberforth stumbled backwards holding his face and he stared at his brother who had his wand pointed at him. A red long line appeared on Aberforth’s face as if he had been hit by a whip. It was very quiet for a few seconds._

_“You’re completely crazy… your ideas, your plan. You’re crazy. Did this bastard really turn your head with a few kisses and manipulated you so well with his fake sweet words that you go against your own family?” Aberforth asked quietly._

_“Don’t talk like that to your brother”, Gellert said darkly and raised his wand, too. Albus however stood there transfixed._

_“Oh, I say whatever I want to say. It is the truth. You’re completely deranged. I see right through you and this game you play. You may have fooled my brother but you do not fool me”, Aberforth said. He, too raised his wand, but Gellert was faster and better than him. Aberforth was lifted into the air and thrown hard onto the floor. He was screaming in pain._

_Albus went as white as Ariana who was still holding onto the doorframe as if it was a lifeline._

_“Gellert”, Albus said but hardly any sound came out. “Gellert”, he repeated louder. “Stop, Gellert! Stop!”_

_Gellert was breathing hard and his arm was trembling as he lifted the curse. Aberforth was whimpering but as soon as the curse stopped he jumped to his feet and shot a curse at Gellert. Gellert blocked it so easily that Aberforth had hardly any time to dodge the curse that Gellert sent right away at him._

_“Oh no, you don’t!” Aberforth bellowed and his wand slashed down again, but he was no match for Gellert. Light flashes bounced through the room and hallway, crashed into walls and brought down pictures. Ariana had sunken to the floor, covering her ears, her eyes widened in panic._

_“Stop, stop, stop!” she whimpered. And then with a loud scream, the magic just broke out of her. Albus was thrown backwards from the sheer force of it. When he got back to his feet he saw Gellert still battling Aberforth and handling Ariana had the same time._

_“No! Don’t hurt them”, Albus gasped. “Stop! Please, don’t hurt them, Gellert! Don’t hurt them! Please, stop! STOP!”_

_The spell was cast before Albus had thought about it, he saw the shock in Gellert's eyes that Albus had risen his wand against him - and maybe that he had sent a curse back at Albus out of reflex. The curse however did not seem to reach Albus. Then there was a high whistling sound, the spell Albus had cast against Gellert seemed to be sucked right into Gellert's chest. With horror both of them stared at the silver blood pact which had lifted itself of Gellert's chest, it was vibrating wildly and then with a loud bang, it unleashed both of their spells combined at the same time._

_It was eeriely quiet when Albus woke up again, he had been knocked unconcious. His head was ringing and his shoulder was aching, he had crashed into a door frame and probably broken his wrist. Groaning, he sat up. Dust was floating through the air and coating the destroyed hallway in a soft grey and brown layer. Aberforth was also just waking up, Gellert had already pulled himself to his feet. When Albus turned his head, he got dizzy. Ariana was lying on the ground, but she did not wake up._

_Her blue eyes were widened in shock, her mouth still open._

_"Ariana", Albus whispered. His breath was shaking. Then there were rapid footsteps and Aberforth rushed over, he slipped and fell to his knees besides his sister. "Ariana. No, wake up. Ariana? Ariana!"_

_Albus' body couldn't stop shaking, he looked up and saw Gellert still standing transfixed in the hallway. His blonde hair was covered in dust and there was a large cut across his cheek. Finally their eyes met, their eyes locked for only a short moment but it felt like eternity to Albus. Then abruptly, Gellert turned around and Disapparated._

 

*

A terrible war was approaching. Every now and then the desire to leave the cell and feel the warmth of magic rush through his veins upon holding a wand overcame Grindelwald with full force. He wanted to leave the cell to prevent the inevitable but there was nothing he could do. There was nothing to do besides waiting for death to come and take them. Death would take both of them, not as equals, only as failed seekers. He waited for a long time, the only visit were the regular food and drinks from the caretaker, by now there was only one left. But after a few months even those stopped.  

One day, he awoke from a deep sleep although he could not remember having fallen asleep. He awoke so abruptly he thought someone must have come into his cell. But there was no one besides him in the cell. It was strangely cold, as if cold winter air had seeped through the thick walls. It couldn’t be, there were enchantments so strong, he had not been able to tell apart day from night, and surely not season from season. But it was freezing. Shivering he pulled the thin blanket over his thin shoulders. Every movement ached. But as he felt another cool breeze he sat up with great effort. He got to his feet and walked to the door, the peephole was open and showed him a long empty corridor. He took a deep breath and reached the door. There was no magical barrier that blocked his path. The door swung open.

He dragged himself through the long corridor, breathing hard. There was another door, it too was open. He climbed the stairs, up and up. Hungry to see daylight again. But it was dark when he reached the ground level. He crashed through wide doors into a large room with a wide window front. Stars were glittering between majestic mountains and a dark lake was lying before him. It wasn’t winter, the trees stood lush around the lake. The room was dusty and spider webs decorated the corners. It looked like no one had been here for a while. The castle was abandoned, his caretakers gone. Otherwise their spells would not have broken. Casualties of a war, one Grindelwald had seen coming. But with the most powerful enchantments gone and the coldness that lingered, he knew that Dumbledore would no longer come and visit him. There was only one visitor to expect.

It was unbearable to remain in the large room with the wide window front. _Had he stood here and looked out the window before he had come down to the cell?_ Grindelwald dragged himself out of the large room to one of the side towers. There were other cells there. Cells with windows. Too narrow to climb out but wide enough to let in air and sunshine and to look outside to see the mountains. He sat down in one of them and waited. This was where he would await Voldemort. He had no business in the large room with a view he could never appreciate or understand its meaning. There was no reason to leave anymore. Voldemort would come, seeking the Elder Wand unknowing of the Deathly Hallows, unknowing of a bond that tied souls together stronger than a Horcrux could tie a soul to life.

And when he came, gliding into the cell like a snake, materialising from vapour to a full grown man with a terrible snake-like face full of greed, Grindelwald smiled.

 _“So, you have come. I thought you would… one day. But your journey was pointless. I never had it.”_ The snake-like face contorted in anger at Grindelwald's bold lie.

_“You lie!”_

He could see why the Magic Community feared this man, like a bomb that could go off any second. But he was easy to read. Greedy, cold, blind for so many things.

_“Kill me, then, Voldemort, I welcome death! But my death will not bring you what you seek … there is so much you do not understand…”_

The red eyes glowed furiously in the darkness. 

_“Kill me, then!” Grindelwald demanded. “You will not win, you cannot win! That wand will never, ever be yours –“._ It had always meant to be Albus’, the only one who had been able to tame it. The memory of Albus and his delighted smile, the auburn hair glowing in the setting sun filled his mind, it was not necessary to shield that information from Voldemort. He knew of their duel, everyone knew. But the memory of Albus, so bright and vivid was almost like a gift. Voldemort screamed and there was a flash of green light.

 

Silence lay upon him like a soft and thin blanket. Gently lowered onto his body and face. It was warm. There was a bright but gentle light. It was there without him having to open his eyes to perceive. 

Gellert. Gellert. A familiar voice.

Someone was calling him in the distance. And he went – without effort – on…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for reading this story, for leaving kudos and comments. Honestly, your comments mean the world to me!!   
> I hope you enjoyed this final chapter of my story as well! 
> 
> I'd like to add that the dialogue from the scene where Grindelwald and Voldemort meet is taken from the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" book. This scene really gets me everytime I read the book and it irked me that in the movies Grindelwald betrayed Dumbledore when in reality he tried to protect Dumbledore's tomb.


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